MODEL BUURT SPOOR
The large company as a source of inspiration for the models
The N.V. Maas-Buurt Spoorweg was a former tram company with a 63 km long meter gauge tram line
between Nijmegen and Venlo.
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The M.B.S. was a subsidiary of the North Brabant German Railway Company, which operated an important railway line between Boxtel and Wesel in Germany.
This railway line ran along places such as Schijndel, Veghel, Uden, Mill, Haps, Beugen, Oeffelt, Gennep, Hassum, Goch, Uedem, Xanten, Menzelen, Birten and Büderich, part of the international
connection between London and St. Petersburg via Vlissingen
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The head office and workshops were also located in Gennep and were the same as those of the M.B.S.
Because the N.B.D.S was co-owner of the M.B.S shares. Good and sometimes excellent quality of equipment and resources was used from the outset, which was also reflected in a heavier rail profile and further superstructure.
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In the early years the operation was carried out with six Hohenzollern steam tram locomotives nos. 40 to 45, later expanded with two more of the same machines nos. 46 and 47.
The locomotive numbers of the M.B.S. connected to the numbers of the N.B.D.S. for maintenance purposes, people simply continued counting.
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In addition to the well-equipped freight fleet, the M.B.S. the disposal of eight carriages nos. AB 1 to 8, expanded in 1916 with nos. 9 and 10 and completed with another four carriages, also
from Allan&Co Rotterdam, numbers 11 to 14.
The mail transport and freight transport in passenger trams was carried by the postal baggage wagons, again from Allan & Co, numbers LE 101 to 106, later EL 101 to 106
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In the 1930s, people were looking for a cheaper form of traction at the M.B.S.
In-house, in 1933-1934, the postal baggage car EL 106 was converted into a motor car with one steering position, to
to form a close-coupled combination with a carriage also equipped with a steering position, in the
initially the AB 14, in order to form tram set D I (read diesel one).
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The reason why they started with the highest numbers of these series before converting was that
the wagons and carriages that remained still formed a complete series.
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A Ganz-Jendrassik G4 of 72/85 hp was used as the combustion engine
powered a generator, brand Smit-Slikkerveer, of 275 V.
Two 300V traction motors were installed in the second bogie.
The 55 km/h was reached with ease...!
M.B.S. El-106 - AB 12 at the Plasmolen interchange on it's way to Nijmegen sometime in the late 1930s...
This first tram set proved to be excellent, a second tram set alike the first was added a year later.
It was buil with the same technical specifications EL 105 - AB 12 D II (read diesel two) appeared in 1935.
M.B.S. EL-105- AB 12 stops in the Spoorstraat in Gennep, on tit's way to Venlo. 1935
After the D II, the EL 104 - AB 14 D III (read diesel three) followed in 1936, now with a Stork build (patent Ganz-Jendrassik) G6 diesel engine
of 130/150 hp with also a generator from Smit-Slikkerveer, again with a working voltage of 275 V.
The diesel engine of D III was more powerfull than its predecessors, so in service it ran more effective so the tram could haul extra carriages.
AB 14 was combined with D III, D II combined with AB 12 and D I was combined with AB 13 from 1936 onwards.
While D I and D II each had a sliding door on the left side and fewer windows, D III had a sliding door on both sides and windows all around.
M.B.S. El-104- AB 14 on the station square of Nijmegen in 1937.
In order to put the old and more expensive steam locomotives completely out of service, two more mail baggage cars were converted into locomotives.
However, these became separate locomotives without a short-coupled carriage, the M.B.S. drivers called them 'Trekkers'(Tractors).
These very powerfull locomotives were equipped with a G8 diesel engine from Stork (pat. Ganz-Jendrassik), now with a power of 200 hp and a Smit Slikkerveer generator of 300 V and 4 traction motors to haul heavy freight trams.
The first N.S. DMU sets of 1934 had the same engines from the current Stork factory series.
For this purpose, EL 103 was converted to D IV and EL 102 was converted to D V, each with two steering positions and no space for luggage
Both locomotives were identical.
M.B.S. EL-103 D IV in the Van Diemerbroeckstraat in Nijmegen in 1937 and M.B.S. EL 102 D V in Gennep workshop in 1941.
The M.B.S had little pleasure from the individual locomotives, as diesel oil was rationed and no longer available.
DIII was made suitable for running on wood gas in 1941, DI and DII followed in 1942.
D IV and D V never were converted to run on wood gas and were placed in the sand pit of the M.B.S. in Heijen. out of range for munition and parked below ground level.
D V was kept on standby with enough diesel oil in stock for the German occupier.
Wood gas installations of Imbert were installed in the three tram sets, all in the luggage compartment.
All tram sets had an installation with a bunker of almost 1.6 m², the largest that Imbert has ever installed in a vehicle in the Netherlands.
This installation was so high that the bunker protruded through the roof and had to be filled on the roof via a ladder.
M.B.S. EL-104 D III on the M.B.S. tramway yard at Venlo, May 17, 1942.
The bunker sticks clearly above the roof, as do the gas coolers above the sliding door and the many pipes also.
The fire in the bunker was ignited via the 'zundgat' which was located to the left under the window and to the left of the sliding door.
The grille to the left of the sliding door could be folded up to access the bottom of the bunker for cleaning purposes.
The ladder to fill the bunker was on the other side (photo archive N.V.B.S.)
The installation of the Imbert wood gas system in M.B.S. EL-105 D II in 1942
On the left on the foreground is one of the gas coolers that were mounted on the roof, on the right is the bunker for the production of wood gas.
Clearly visible is the Stork G4 diesel engine of D II tram set, mounted on a sub-frame.
This frame with a maximum load capacity of 10 tons did not have to be reinforced, unlike D IV and D V.
This D V is on the right behind the ladder (photo N.V.B.S.)
The spartan design of these locomotives was my inspiration to leave the h0 scale models for G scale and build them myself.
The first idea arose at the end of 1992 to build the D IV, after which M.B.S. DIV was completed on February 8, 1993.
However, the locomotive then quickly was converted to R.T.M. M 69 on June 11, 1993.
Due to a small fire in the engine room of R.T.M. M69 on October 26, 1993, the locomotive was converted again, this time to
R.T.M. M 67, the present condition.
Unfortunately the woodwork was painted in a wrong color, later the wood was stripped and varnished clear.
Due to circumstances, the entire first series was sold in May 1997, such can be read here.
During the period from 1997 to 2003, the construction of tram models came to a complete standstill.
As many fellow model builders can confirm, the proverbial thread was picked up again in 2003
While the models from the first series were often scratch-built from sketches where the scale had to be converted, the second series was made from the correct drawings.
This gave a visibly more accurate result and when R.T.M. M67 and the M.B.S. EL 103 D IV standing next to each other is
it's very noticeable that the dimensions from the first series, converted from these drawings were more inaccurate.
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With the start of the second series of models, no effort was spared to create more accurate and representative models.
M.B.S. EL 103 D IV was chosen again for the same reason.
After this was completed, the construction of the frame began of an M.B.S. Allan carriage, however, it only very recently was completed as M.B.S. AB 14.
Due to the inability to properly estimate the construction method and the lack of correct drawings, I decided to build a simpler model.
Build as M.B.S. 220, this became a closed freight wagon with many details in 2004.
Three wooden locomotives in a row, on the left R.T.M. M 67 from 1993, in the middle M.B.S. EL 103 D IV from 2003 and on the right EL 104 D III from 2020.
To show the origins of these locomotives, M.B.S. EL 101 also was built, the only mail baggage car from this series that was not converted by the M.B.S. and later the R.T.M. into a locomotive.
Due to private circumstances (such as 4 moves), the construction of models again came to a standstill until 2018, the
moment when I decided to build a garden railway where all models could ride.
From that moment on, the construction of new models went well and soon the second series emerged with a rapid pace.
The workshop also became increasingly better equipped with special machines, such as the milling machine, a heavier small hand drill, a column drill, a belt sander, a jigsaw machine and a band saw machine.
In addition, spare parts were also placed in a proper storage system and drawings were collected and added to a archive.
The workshop (referred to as the M.B.S. workshop on this entire site) has currently been further expanded with an extended workbench on which the machines have their own place.
In order not to keep telling the whole story again and again and to keep interested parties informed of developments, this has been in place on this M.B.S. site. on January 2021 ever since.
All matters regarding the models, outdoor track, their origins and inspiration can be found here.
Also on Facebook, there is a group site where the necessary information can be communicated and for
more information about the R.T.M. you can go here.
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A quick look into my M.B.S. workshop, August 21, 2022.
All tram equipment is clearly displayed on shelves, the workbenches are L-shape build with processing machines positioned on the left newer part.
EL 104 D III is placed upside down on the older right workbench part for minor repairs.